Who is She?
by Thoughts of a Fangirl
Summary: Ren has lived in Mr Maurizio's Circus for three years. He has given up on any chance of freedom. This is who he was now. A circus animal. But things start to change when the beautiful stranger Kelsey, a new temporary circus employee arrives. Suddenly he is filled with hope, hope he hasn't had in decades. Who is this girl? A one-shot in Ren's perspective. Thanks for reading!


**Hello there, this is just a one shot on Ren's POV when he first saw Kelsey…**

 **All rights to Colleen Houck of course!**

I lay in my cage, my head resting on my paws. The straw beneath me itched but I ignored it. I listened carefully to the sounds outside, my ears twitching. I could hear laughter, shouting and the usual buzz of conversation.

I had been in this circus for the past three years. I had been passed from owner to owner. My life never changed. I had long ago given up on Mr Kadam to find away to purchase my freedom. It was impossible. This is what I have become. A circus animal.

Long ago I was a prince, to be king as heir to the Indian throne. That was before my brother had betrayed me. Now, I do ridiculous stunts as a performance to people for their entertainment.

I lifted my head when I heard the lock on the barn click. Sunlight filtered into the room, highlighting the dust particles that swirled around. I squinted my eyes in the sudden light before they quickly adjusted. Mr. Davis, my 'trainer' and a young girl walked in.

I immediately recognised her. She was the new worker in the circus. I had seen her yesterday at the show. She had warm brown eyes and straight, honey coloured hair that was tied in a braid with a red ribbon.

'Kelsey, meet Dhiren,' Mr. Davis said, gesturing to my cage. 'Come here, I want to show you something.'

I searched the face of the new girl carefully and she stared back intriguingly. Suddenly an expression of loneliness washed over her, before she broke eye contact. I was very curious of the stranger and my eyes followed her everywhere. I was mesmerised. I didn't even notice Mr. Davis refill my water bowl.

'I'm going to do some paperwork,' he was saying. 'Kelsey, I want you to feed the tiger.' Kelsey approached warily and slid some meat into the cage, hastily pulling her hand back. I remained motionless.

'Mr. Davis, is this a male or a female tiger?' She asked, turning away. I immediately growled in annoyance.

'What are you growling at _me_ for?' she demanded accusatorily in my direction. Mr. Davis laughed.

'Ah, you've offended him,' he said and I rolled my eyes, settling my head back onto my paws. 'He is very sensitive. To answer your question, _he_ is a male.'

'Hmm.' They left the barn together and I watched as Kelsey left, my curiosity increasing.

The next day Kelsey returned again, this time with a notebook. She settled down comfortably onto the straw hay and opened her book, picking up a pencil.

 _I'm here,_ I tried to communicate through my eyes. _Can you help me?_

'Hey mister, what are you looking at?' she said instead and I gave up the attempt.

She started to draw, her pencil scratching lines onto the paper. She seemed to be drawing me and instantly I was overcome with a desire to see her picture. Then she started talking to me. Talking to me like I was human.

'What's your name again? Ah, Dhiren. Well, I'll just call you Ren. Hope that's all right with you. So how's your day been? Did you enjoy your breakfast? You know, you have a very handsome face, for something that could eat me.' I snorted softly, but was secretly listening to every word she said. It was different, to have someone talk to me as if I was a person. It was something that I hadn't realised I had missed. I instinctively leaned forward, hoping she would say more. For a while there was only the sound of her pencil, before she began to talk again.

'Do you like being a circus tiger? I can't imagine it's a very exciting life for you, being stuck in that cage all the time. I know I wouldn't like it very much.' _You have no idea,_ I thought. She was quiet again, but then she looked up from her drawing, chewing thoughtfully on her lip. 'Do you like poetry? I'll bring in my book of poems and read to you sometime. I think I have one about cats you might like.' I stared in disbelief at the girl, incredulous at her willingness to converse with an animal. She was asking _if I liked poetry._ I suddenly stood up, my face right up against the cage and stared at Kelsey intensely. She instantly seemed a bit nervous.

And then Mr. Davis strolled into the building, his hands in his pockets, whistling a tune to himself. I sat back down again, but kept my eyes on the girl.

'Hey kid, how are you going?' he asked Kelsey, and she turned away from me.

'Umm, I'm fine,' she replied, looking thoughtful. 'Hey, I have a question. Doesn't he ever get lonely by himself? Haven't you tried to, you know, find him a girl tiger?" I fixed my gaze on her and tried to scowl in irritation. Mr. Davis laughed.

'Not for him. This one likes to be alone. The other circus said they tried to produce offspring by breeding him with a white female in heat at the zoo, but he wouldn't have it. He stopped eating, so they pulled him out of there. I guess he prefers bachelorhood.'

'Oh. Well, I'd better get back to Matt and help him out with the dinner preparations,' Kelsey said, shutting her notebook and standing up. I felt a flare of jealousy for Matt, who I knew was Mr. Davis' son. He got to spend so much time with Kelsey.

She and Mr. Davis left, leaving me alone again. I listened until I couldn't here her footsteps anymore before settling back into the hay and falling asleep.

I was sleeping for a while, hoping that the girl, Kelsey would comeback tomorrow with her poetry. Poetry had always been something I liked to read, and even wrote some myself. I loved the sound of her voice. I loved her smile. I loved the smell of her hair.

I was obsessed with her.

A couple hours later, just as the sun was setting the door to the barn creaked open. My head shot up and was overjoyed to see Kelsey with a paperback book in her hand.

'Hey, Ren,' she said, and I internally smiled. 'Would you like me to read to you for a while? Now Romeo and Juliet don't have any tigers in their story, but Romeo does climb a balcony, so you just picture yourself climbing a tree, okay? Wait a second. Let me create the proper setting.' She turned off the lamp and the moonlight filtered through the windows. She positioned herself under one of the windows and held her book to the light so she could see the writing. She started to read.

Her voice was mesmerising. She read the play aloud with confidence and passion. I started flicking my tail back and forth in time to her voice.

'Ah. They don't make men like Romeo anymore,' Kelsey murmured sleepily, closing the book. 'Maybe there never has been such a man. Present company excluded, of course. I'm sure you're a very romantic tiger. Shakespeare sure wrote about dreamy men, didn't he?' Kelsey yawned and leaned back in the hay, closing her eyes. Within moments she was asleep.

I stared at her for a long time, as if trying to memorise every aspect of her face. The angles of her cheekbones, the shape of her chestnut eyes, the curves of her mouth. She was beautiful. She turned over in her sleep and I closed my eyes, listening to her peaceful breathing. I eventually fell asleep too.

She visited every day for a week and I had grown used to her constant presence. She made me feel human again. She read to me often and I became fascinated with her. I watched all her movements. Listened to every word she said. I needed her, to save my sanity if nothing else.

She brought her journal everyday, either writing in it or drawing in it. Sometimes she brought a poem, or something by Shakespeare. Other days she would just talk. This continued for a week, each of her visits making me even more drawn to her. Until one day.

'Hey, Matt,' said a voice outside my barn.

'Hi Joe. How are you?'

'Not too bad,' replied Matt. 'I've had a lot more chores to do now the new girl has left, though.'

'Yeah. Well, see you.'

'Bye.'

No no no no no no no no. This can't be happening. Kelsey can't have left. She was the only thing that gave me hope, a reason to live. I paced frantically around my cage, straining my ears for more information, but nothing came. Frustrated, I tried to jump and see through the high window, but the top of the cage was too low. I continued to pace anxiously around the enclosure, until Mr. Davis walked in, getting me ready for the matinee show.

He led me out of my cage and into the arena, where three stools stood apart. The large audience were seated around the stage, awed faces whispering and pointing when I walked out. I didn't care about the audience. I cared about Kelsey.

I scanned the audience, looking for her, desperate to see her face. I ran around the arena in circles, glaring at the faces that stared back at me. Finally I froze, and saw her in the stands, wearing circus T-shirt and cap. My eyes didn't leave her face, and she stared straight at me in shock. Relief flooded through me, and I turned away, resuming my normal position. It must have been another girl who had left the circus. I did my normal routine perfectly, but I kept a weary eye on Kelsey the whole time. By the end she was looking a bit unnerved.

I lay in my cage after the show, gnawing on a bone. I was content with the fact that Kelsey had not left the circus, but a nagging thought kept flickering through my mind. Kelsey hadn't left yet, but was her job permanent? Surely not. So when was she due to leave? Because it was going to happen sooner or later.

An hour later Kelsey opened the barn door, and crept silently in, coming close to the cage, a concerned expression on her face.

'Hey, Ren. What's going on with you today, Mister? I'm worried about you. I hope you aren't getting sick or something,' she said softly. I remained silent, and just watched her calmly as she approached.

Kelsey had a hesitant look in her eye as she walked slowly towards me. She knelt at the base of the enclosure, chewing on her lip. What was she doing?

She carefully reached out her hand and slid it through the bars. Her eyes remained locked on mine. Feeling braver, she placed her whole hand on top of m paw, tracing one of the stripes. A shock of electricity ran through my limp and I sighed, closing my eyes. Then I leaned forward and licker her hand, internally laughing when she jolted back.

'Ren! You scared me! I thought you were going to bite off my fingers!' she exclaimed, but then sobered and reached out once more, touching my paw. I licked her fingers again and she smiled before walking over to the sink and washing her hands with soap. Returning to her favourite bale of hay, she said, 'thanks for not eating me.' I merely huffed. 'What would you like to read today? How about that cat poem I promised you?' She sat down, opened her poetry book, and found the right page. 'Okay, here goes.'

I AM THE CAT

By Leila Usher

In Egypt, they worshiped me

I am the Cat.

Because I bend not to the will of man

They call me a mystery.

When I catch and play with a mouse,

They call me cruel,

Yet they take animals to keep

In parks and zoos that they may gape at them.

They think all animals are made for their pleasure,

To be their slaves.

And, while I kill only for my needs,

They kill for pleasure, power and gold

And then pretend to a superiority!

Why should I love them?

I, the Cat, whose ancestors

Proudly trod the jungle,

Not one ever tamed by man.

Ah, do they know

That the same immortal hand

That gave them breath, gave breath to me?

But I alone am free

I am THE CAT.'

She closed the book shut with a snap and just sat there, staring at me thoughtfully. I had already memorised the poem in my head and sighed, thinking that it couldn't be more accurate, since I had experienced it first hand.

Kelsey stood up again and wandered over to me, placing her hand on top of my paw once again. I immediately started to lick it, and she laughed, before instantly falling serious. She tentatively lifted her palm and smoothed it across my cheek. I leaned into her touch. Feeling braver, she reached and scratched behind my ear. I immediately let out a purr and the sound rumbled through my chest. Kelsey smiled and scratched some more.

'Like that, don't you,' she murmured, sitting back. She remained motionless for a while, a thoughtful expression of her face. She seemed to be assessing me.

Kelsey sighed, and rested her chin on her palm as I stared into her big brown eyes. Never breaking eye contact, she whispered softly,

'I wish you were free.'

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 **Thanks,**

 **Thoughts of a fangirl**


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